Sunday, 2 March 2014

Performs 10 hours


I love this wonderful old sign, spotted on the Star Hotel in High Street, Southampton. The 18th century coaching inn has seen better days (probably in the 18th century – its current external paintwork certainly looks sadly ancient) but happily the sign survives. The Star is just a few doors away from the Dolphin, a lovely 17th century inn where Jane Austen once danced. A 10 hour journey time from Southampton to London was presumably good enough to boast about in stone two hundred years ago. By contrast, National Express now runs 16 coaches to London a day, and the trip takes just two hours 15 minutes.

The Star Hotel 
The Dolphin Hotel